Man with blood cancer home with family for Christmas

A man who has blood cancer and received a life-saving stem cell transplant from his brother a year ago has said "brighter moments can come".

Adam Claxton, from Worcester, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in September last year and went on to have a transplant last Christmas Eve using stem cells from his brother, Leon, who was found to be a 100% match.

Writing on social media, he said the year had been a "rollercoaster" after he relapsed in the summer, but then heard he was in remission.

Last Christmas, he was ill and tired and did not celebrate, he said, but added that he was grateful to be with his family this year, adding: "The kids are just glad to have daddy home."

"I'm more emotional now than ever," he wrote on Blood Cancer UK's Facebook page.

"You appreciate the little things at this time of year; hearing the kids laugh, picking out the biggest Christmas tree, making memories.

"Life doesn't have to be defined by the dark days; there may be more of them, but brighter moments can come."

Mr Claxton told the BBC that this Christmas was looking "so different" from last year.

He said he felt "really blessed and grateful" to spend the time at home with his family, adding that it made "last Christmas feel so worth it".

He said he was in hospital from mid-December to mid-January, adding: "Some days rolled into the next... and there were times where you just got through the next hour."

When he relapsed, he was given two weeks to live, Mr Claxton said, adding "things got pretty scary".

"I'm just super grateful that because of Leon, I'm here this Christmas - my little boy's got his daddy, my fiancee's got her partner, my family have got their son," he said.

"I say with Christmas now, it's not about the presents under the tree, but the presence of the people that you have around it - and the ones that you don't - and celebrating the good times."

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.